The Judsons

Time for a short story.

The Judsons were crazy. Like really crazy. When Adoniram asked for Ann's hand in marriage he wrote to her father:

"I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left is heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteous, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from the lost* saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"

He got married to Ann on Feb 5, 1812. He set assail with her to India on Feb 19, 1812. Ann bore Judson 3 children, all of whom died. When her second child died she wrote:

Our hearts were bound up with this child; we felt he was our earthly all, our only source of innocent recreation in this foreign* land. But God saw it was necessary to remind us of our error, and to strip us of our only little all. O, may it not be vain that he has done it. May we so improve it that he will stay his hand and say 'It is enough.'

* Words changed to make more contextual sense. The word 'heathen' used is really not meant derogatorily. It is meant to imply people who do not share the same faith, but it is not used without love. People who do not love the heathen do not end up sacrificing their, theirs spouse's and their children's lives for them.

The story was picked from here

Jim and his ice-cream

So there was a kid. Let's call him Jim. Jim was unique, in that, he loved ice-cream…. like genuinely.  

One day he and his father were out on one of their evening walks, and they stumbled upon an ice cream vendor. Jim looked at his father expectantly. His father was wise. It wasn't too often that he would give Jim what he wanted, but today was Jim's day. 

Soon Jim had his big, round, black, sparkly eyes fixed on the ice-cream he was holding… but even before he took his first bite at it, he saw a kid - about his age, with tattered clothes, shrunken body and sunken eyes that made it obvious that he craved the ice-cream. He was not begging. 

Jim felt pain. A lot of it. He was a kid, remember? He knew too little to be able to rationalize his feelings away. And the pain not was just a result of an inherent ability to empathize with the kid. It was mixed with the pain of feeling compelled to have to part with his ice-cream - things he did not understand then and that one day, would be taught to him as 'right' in one of his value-education classes. 

While he was still staring at the kid, he heard a whisper right beside his ear. He could tell that it was his father's, not only because his father was the only person around him and he could see the profile of his face in his peripheral vision, but much more - because he knew his fathers voice. He had learnt to recognize it. His father often said things to him that seemed grave, profound and serious. He hadn't heard many fathers talk with kids his age that way. Many times he did not completely understand the things he said. This time he heard: 

"And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do."

Somehow, all that reminded Jim of how big his father really is. Jim made his decision. He gave his ice cream, then still missing it, he turned around, looked up to his father and gave him a weak smile. They weren't too far from the ice-cream vendor and Jim's father was very rich.  But he did not buy him another ice-cream. However, later that evening, Jim had so much fun with dad, that when he lay on the bed that night, tired with joy, he had forgotten everything about his ice cream. 

Random Thought

One day there was Faith.

Then... there was Knowledge

Of Probabilities, Information, Intelligence and Faith

Once, a normal unbiased die was rolled inside an box and so nobody could tell what number was rolled. 

One person was told to give the probability that the number 6 was rolled. The person was intelligent. So he calculated correctly. He said the probability that 6 was rolled is 1/6. That is also the same probability that 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, were rolled. 

The die was not rolled again. Nothing about the experiment was changed. 

Another person was asked the same question... "What is the probability that the number 6 was rolled?" However, this person was given some more information. He was told that an even number was rolled. Since this person was also intelligent, he concluded correctly that the probability of 6 being rolled was 1/3rd. 

The die was not rolled again. Nothing about the experiment was changed. 

A third person was asked the same question, but he was given more information. He was told, that the number rolled is even and is not less than or equal to 3. The third person also happened to be intelligent and so concluded, that the probability that 6 was rolled is 1/2. 

The above simple story was written from an experiment that my advisor Carl Sturtivant told me to make his point about the importance of information. 

Note that every intelligent man had faith that the information given to him was true. He trusted the source. 

I want to respect the beauty in the simplicity of the experiment by not writing explicit conclusions from it except allude to one. I recently read a quote I found agonizingly painful. Here - "Actually faith and intelligence are alternatives. You can't have both of them at the same time." This experiment probably brings out why I find that statement so painful. 

Short Story

I was on my knees, upper body stooping down, nose almost touching the ground. I was still hot with the argument... with pain. I could feel it in my head. My face was still wet with tears.

He was on his throne and was giving the orders that had devastated me. I was not looking at him. After they were given, I could hear the others leave briskly, so that I knew we were left alone. I felt him turn his face to me.  With his same stern commanding voice he said,

"As for you... "

"Yes, my Lord", I said. I had given up trying to argue... trying to present my case. He was too strong.

But there was a pause... I was waiting to hear my punishment.... or a disciplinary action.  Even a beating couldn't be worse than his orders. And he continued,

"My son..."

The tone of his voice had changed. I looked up... to him...  I did not expect to see tears streaming down his face. He felt my pain. I couldn't believe it.  I kept looking at him and in sometime there broke a smile on his face and he said,

"You will learn to enjoy me."

Scavenger

My story is that of a diseased and incomplete soul in a junk yard that once used to be a perfect garden. My soul, restless and thirsty, scavenges for something... ANYTHING that completes it, satisfies it, heals it. There are few things it does find in the pile of trash, that seem precious and that satisfy indeed… but only temporarily. It is just a matter of time before my soul realizes its find is defective, incomplete, not trustworthy… or just that its longing is for more.   The piece does not fit it. Then all it does is look sorrowfully at its "precious" just to throw it back in the pile of junk.

Then magic happens! Suddenly, it gets a taste of God, supernatural... from out of the junkyard and my soul realizes, not that God just completes it, but more, that its existence is in God. 

From then on, all it has been doing is begging for and being satisfied in more of Him. It refuses to be satisfied with junk again. 

"... and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17

The Decline

The First said, "Thank You"

The Second chose not to. 

The Third asked, "Who are you?"

The Fourth said, "We don't know you"

The Fifth asked, "Do you exist?"

The Sixth answered, "He does not!"

Seeing Him

Seeing Jesus the first time (and every time after that) is a little like entering a different medium, or a different world. (I would have liked to say its Lewis's Narnia, but in this world there is no Sin). Have you jumped into water and noticed the noises on land become subdued? Its something like that. You are suddenly pulled into a different medium and all the noises of the world, the cares, the arguments, the desires will be far away, unable to reach you.  You will know they exist, but they are too muffled and you are least interested in them... because you are here, in His presence.


You don't physically see him... but you know he is there... his justice, his holiness, his wrath, his love , his hugeness, his grace and his mercy, co-existing in one being... One Being! In perfection. It is the first time you can dare to lift your head boldly to gaze directly at him, covered by the love the same person, yet it is also the first time you want to bow it down. And whether you choose to bow your head or look straight at him you will survive - because his justice is satisfied by his love.  He is pleased.


There you are changed. Transformed back to the person he created you to be. If it were up to you, you would never leave this place. Never. You don't want to go back to your world, no-matter how promising you thought it was. You want to stay here in His presence gazing on His beauty like the angels, and you long to be there with them.


But then something comes knocking - your job, your meal, your telephone call, your parents, wife, children, pulling you back to the bazaar... Then you hear noises, hawkers screaming  fake promises of joy - the "I will please you"s. The exact things your flesh would crave for.  This time though, your soul is too drunk on pure joy to want any from the world. You have a smile on your face - the kinda smile that fades only after a long time, and will not if you keep visiting him. You can see through the deception in the world and in you. And you only long to get back... as much as, and as often as you can. 

Marbles and Candy

"A little boy had lots of pretty marbles.  But he was constantly eyeing his sister's bagful of candy.  One day he said to her, "If you give me all your candy, I'll give you all of my marbles."  She gave it much thought, and agreed to the trade.  He took all her candy and went back to his room to get his marbles.  But the more he admired them the more reluctant he became to give them all up.  So he hid the best of them under his pillow and took the rest to her.  That night, she slept soundly, while he tossed and turned restlessly, unable to sleep and thinking, "I wonder if she gave me all the candy?"

-I did not write this story. I happened to hear Ravi Zhacharias talk about it. He did not write it either. 

He said to me, "I will take your rags..."

I said, "Please don't take my rags from me"

Patiently, He said, "Listen! I will take your rags and give you heaps of 'gold', 'sliver', riches, galaxies, I will lavish on you my greatest gifts, but above all, I will let you enjoy the richest thing... Me. Does that sound like a good deal to you?"

I said, "Yes"

Revel

Not only is the ground level at the foot of the cross, it is the dance floor for an ongoing revelry. Come closer...  take a look at the people there. They have wrinkled faces, missing teeth, crooked noses, squinted eyes, balding heads, tattered clothes and unsophisticated dance steps.

However, if you are a keen observer you will notice that miraculously, all those infirmities are getting healed. And then, if you have the time to look long enough, there will come a moment ( and don't blink then), when in a twinkling of an eye, my friend, these will become glorious. Be careful then not to mistake them for angels, for these will be far better.


"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."


- 2 Cor 3:18

These and Those

These go to God and say, "Its quite embarrassing to keep coming here so often. I'm sure I'll get it right this time. But for now, can I have a little more grace?"
Those go to God and say, "To save me you will need infinite grace", He says, "Infinite Grace is what you will get." They say, "Thank you".

These are obsessed with trying to please God,
Those are obsessed with enjoying Him.

These look to the Cross as a headstart,
Those look to the cross as their victory.

At the feast, their servings are scanty,
At the feast, the one that has infinite food, they are generous with their servings and thankful in their hearts.

These are not self-righteous
Those are not self-righteous either

These keep trying
Those quit trying

They take grace just enough to patch up their performance,
Those are so busy taking grace, they don't start performing, and yet the perform much better.

Happiness is a scarcity with these,
Joy is overflowing with those.

Hard to Believe

"Ummm... that thing you just heard..."

"You? Again??? When did you come back? I thought you were gone." 

"I have always been here my friend... you just couldn't hear me for a while. "

"Go away. You know I don't like you."

"I may not be much liked, but I am faithful... always there by your side, to give you the truth."

"And what do you have to tell me this time?"

"It's about the thing you just heard from that seemingly all-knowing man..."

"Yea, what about it?"

"It is not true."

"You lie. Why can't it be true? It has to be true.  It felt right. I felt so free. All it did to me was made me look at Him ... and looking at Him..." his eyes lit for a little while and he paused "I could do that forever. There is a sweet release... a fulfillment... a completion... a rest... I stopped looking at myself...  I didn't care about what people think about me. it was like... like... my chains fell off an... "

"Welcome back to the real world. Here things suck. Agreed it's good to hear these stories, but real life is different. Keep your imaginary worlds to your Sunday mornings. They are good for a while... but remember, only for a while. Remember how much there is to... "

"Why cant it all be true... everything single thing that he said?"

"Stop acting like a kid. Grow up. Children behave like the way you are behaving, believing fantasies. Look at this world... at reality... at everything you have known about this place. Nothing is so good here. Nothing can be so good.

Besides, you talk about seeing him... tell me, have you ever really seen Him?

And, let us suppose, for a while, that He really died and rose again... for us,  and that has given us an appreciable head start, but pleeeaase, for crying out loud, for the love of knowledge, tell me you don't think that is all we need... tell me you don't think that is the end of our race, that in His act we have won our prize. Do you? HUH?

There was silence for a little while.

"Come my friend, listen to me" here Flesh gets closer and puts his arm around Spirit. "I care for you. I love you. I know you. Much is expected of us... Much relies on us. Let's get to work. There is business to do."  With sleight, he holds onto Joy, and tightens his claws while saying, "There are grades to earn, a career to pursue, people to please, details to take care of, rules to obey, an image to build, girls to impress, guys to compete against, fame to achieve, parents' dreams to accomplish, holiness to pursue, a God to please and a righteousness to earn." Unnoticed he throws Joy aside. "Leave what you heard behind... it is too good to be true"

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

- Jesus Christ. 

Matt 11:28-30

The Story of the Builders

There were these people... and one day they started building "buildings".

So they looked for bricks and built one floor. Then they looked at their building with a sense of accomplishment. Engrossed in it for some time, they smiled,  but then... after some time the smile faded away.

So they looked for some more bricks.

They built another floor and then looked at their taller building with a sense of accomplishment. Engrossed in it for some time they smiled,  but then... after some time, the smile faded away.

So they looked for some more bricks.

They built another floor and then looked at their taller building with a sense of accomplishment. Engrossed in it for some time they smiled,  but then... after some time, the smile faded away.

So they looked for some more bricks.

They built another floor and then looked at their taller building with a sense of accomplishment. Engrossed in it for some time they smiled,  but then... after some time, the smile faded away.

So they looked for some more bricks.

They built another floor and then looked at their taller building with a sense of accomplishment. Engrossed in it for some time they smiled,  but then... after some time, the smile faded away.

So they looked for some more bricks.

They built another floor and then looked at their taller building with a sense of accomplishment. Engrossed in it for some time they smiled,  but then... after some time, the smile faded away.

So they looked for some more bricks.

They built another floor and then looked at their taller building with a sense of accomplishment. Engrossed in it for some time they smiled,  but then... after some time, the smile faded away.

So they looked for some more bricks.

.

.

.

Then God came and saved some of them. These looked at Him and stayed engrossed forever and the smile never faded away...